Wire-gate fastener.



I. W. VAN NEWKIRK.

, WIRE GATE PASTENER;

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1908. 9-1 5 ,5 1 1 I Patented 'Mar. 16, 1909,

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WIRE GATE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 190a.

Patented. Mar. 16,1909,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- UNTTED STATES JAMES W. VAN NEWKIRK, OF OSHKOSH, NEBRASKA.

WIRE-GATE FASTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Application filed May 4, 1908. Serial No. 430,891.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs W. VAN NEW- KIRK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county of Deuel and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in Wire-Gate Fasteners and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in gate fasteners, and it has for its main object, the production of an exceedingly simple and inexpensive device of that nature designed primarily for use in connection with a wire gate.

To this end, the fastener, briefly described,

comprises a metal loop pivotally connected,

through the medium of a pair of straps with an operating lever which is, in turn, pivoted to a bifurcated bracket secured to the upper end of the fence-post, the loop being arranged for engagement with the upper end of the end bar of the gate, when the latter is in closed position, the movement of the lever in one direction drawing the bar toward the post and thus tightening or stretching the gate wires.

The referred embodiment of the inven tion is i lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts or features, as the case may be, are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

Of the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the fastener in use, the gate being shown in closed position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the fastener, parts of the fence-post and gate-bar being likewise illustrated, the members of the fastener being in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4C is an enlarged detail view, showing the position of the members of the fastener after the initial engagement of the loop with the gate-bar. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the loop. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bracket.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the end bar of the gate, 2 the wires thereof, and 3 the fence-post adj acent the gate-bar.

The post 3 has bolted thereto a bracket A, the upper end of which projects above that of the post and is formed at such point with a longitudinal slot or bifurcation a, as shown in ]Fig. 6, the verticalears a, resulting from such construction, beingbent parallel with each other and at right angles to the body of the bracket. In the upper portions of these ears are formed alining perforations a arranged to receive the ends of a bolt 1) upon which the upper end of the operating lever B is pivoted. The lower end of the bracket is bent laterally outward, to form the foot (1 which element is provided with. an inwardly-extending notch (15.

The operating lever B above referred to, has pivoted thereto, the lower ends of a pair of curved straps C of counterpart construction which are disposed upon opposite sides of the lever, and have thelr upper ends pivoted to. the metal loop D whose ends d are brought together, as shown in Fig. 5, to close the loop. The connection between the lever and the straps is effected by a bolt 12 and that between the straps and the loop by a bolt 0, the last mentioned bolt passing through alining perforations formed in the loop ends cl. The bolt b is located toward the bolt 1).

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the movement of the lever will effect an cndwise movement of the loop which is pivoted thereto in the same direction. Hence, when said lever is swung upwardly and toward the end bar 1 of the gate, the latter having been previously closed, the loop will likewise move toward said bar and may be readily passed over the up er end thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. When t e lever is swung in the opposite direction, as indi cated by the arrow in said figure, the loop will draw the end bar toward the fence-post, as will be understood, thus stretching or tightening the Wires 2. When the lastmentioned, or return movement of the lever is completed, its handle end may be engaged in the notch a, as shown in Fig. 1, the lever being thus held against accidental displacement At its lower end, the fence-post is provided with a wire loop E for engaging the lower end of the gate-bar 1, when the gate is closed. This loop is of the ordinary construction.

What is claimed is:

1. A gate fastener, comprising a vertical bracket having its up er end bifurcated, the ears formed by the ifurcation being bent parallel with each other and at right angles to the body portion of the bracket; a lever pivoted at one end betweenjrlsaidglears; a

loop having its ends brought together to close the same; and a air of straps disposed upon opposite sides of the lever and having their lower ends pivoted to the latter and their upper ends to the ends of the loop.

2. A gate fastener, comprising a vertical racket having its upper end bifurcated and its lower end turned outwardly ,to form a foot, the ears formed by the bifurcation being bent parallel with each other and at right angles to the body portion of the bracket; a lever ivoted at one end between said ears; a loop aving its ends brought together to close the same; and a pair of straps disposed upon opposite sides of the lever and having their lower ends pivoted to the latter and their upper ends to the ends of the loop, said lever belng arranged in one position for engagement with the foot portion of the bracket.

3. A gate fastener, comprising a vertical bracket having its upper end bifurcated and its lower end turned outwardly to form a foot, the ears formed by the bifurcation being bent parallel with each other and at right angles to the body portion of the bracket; a lever pivoted at one end between said ears; a loop having its ends brought together to close the same; and a pair of straps disposed upon opposite sides of the lever and havingtheir lower ends pivoted to the latter and their upper ends to the ends of the loop, the foot portion of the bracket being formed with a notch in which the lever is arranged in 7 one position for engagement.

J W. VAN NEWKIRK.

Witnesses:

Row. A. DAY, W. L. KIMBEL. 

